Redefining the term 'Subtle'
by Modern Physics
Summary: Calleigh/Ryan CaRWash oneshot. He didn’t like to use the term ‘love triangle’ when he thought about Calleigh, Delko, and himself. In fact, he never saw a triangle... he only ever saw a linear line with two corresponding dots on either end.


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_Very short oneshot. This is what I would have liked to seen happen after tonight's episode of CSI:Miami._

_WARNING: Small spoilers for '6x15: Ambush' and '6x16: All In'_

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'You okay?'

Two words are all it took to catch her attention amidst all the whirring lights and police cars. She should barely be on a thinking level right now, but somehow, that voice managed to slice through a thousand other inaudible sounds, piercing somewhere deep inside. Hours of torment and mental abuse should have taken its toll on her, but she somehow managed to remain strong; she always did and always would.

'I'm… alright,' she said in a shaky voice through a puff of air. Every exhale felt like the life was being sucked out of her for good until she took another breath of fresh air and felt reborn. His eyes drifted from her scratched palms up to her makeup-stained face, and back to her palms again. She wasn't even looking at him, but she just knew. Their relationship was too complicated to explain using textbook definitions such as 'platonic' or 'passionate'. It was neither, but at the same time, it was a mixture of both.

'You going to take some time off now or…?' he trailed off, adjusting the strap on his silver watch, a subconscious action he did every time he felt particularly stressed or worried. She knew this as well; in fact, she knew that recently his obsessive compulsive disorder was becoming stronger again. She had read books about it a few years back, convincing herself that she was just curious, when really she wanted to feel a deeper connection to him, however foolish it may be.

'I'm not… I'm not sure,' she said with a weak, defeated laugh. 'I just want to go home right now.' She stood up and brushed the imaginary dirt off of her pants as he held onto one of her arms, leading her towards the Hummer a few feet away. The noises seemed distant, the worries seemed trivial, and for a moment the only thing running through her mind was the time she thought she was shot a few years back. The look on his face back then was an image she could not erase from her mind, although she never even tried. The only thing that remotely came close to that look was the look he gave when he saw her walk out of the elevator a few hours previous. There were three men sitting around a table waiting for her, but the only one she truly cared about was him. It upset her when he did little more than put a hand on her shoulder and assured her she'd be alright. Now, however, he was making up for it as she suddenly remembered who was walking her to the car.

'I'm glad you're alright,' he finally said after moments of unbroken silence, 'you do know that?' The fading rays of the sun caught a glint in his eye and refused to let it go. She looked up and nodded; a small, understanding nod. It was this relationship that went beyond subtle; a relationship that few knew existed. He knows she knows, and that's all there is too it. She extended a cold, limp hand and wrapped it around one of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn't need to speak because she truly believed that actions spoke louder than words.

It wasn't long before Delko stormed by, grabbing her shoulders forcefully and refusing to let go. It reminded Ryan of an abusive parent shaking their child, demanding answers for something they didn't know anything about. He heard Delko tell Calleigh things he thought she wanted to hear, like he wouldn't know what to do if something had happened to her. Calleigh nodded and ended the conversation with a short 'alright' before getting in the Hummer with Delko.

Ryan stood nearby, kicking up rocks with his shoes. He didn't like to use the term 'love triangle' when he thought about Calleigh, Delko, and himself. In fact, he never saw a triangle… he only ever saw a linear line with two corresponding dots on either end.


End file.
